Kerry Spot    [ jim geraghty reporting ]
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I have recently talked with an individual who claims to be familiar with the internal discussions at CBS News. This source built some credibility when he/she accurately stated that Drudge’s report of an internal investigation was wrong (Rather denied Drudge‘s report a few hours later), and this person also accurately predicted the network’s full-throated defense of the story on Friday evening, when some were wondering if the network would backtrack.

This individual told the Kerry Spot late Monday night that some of CBS’ news talent who were campaigning for the anchor desk when Rather retires, are more than a little pleased with the recent turn of events. These individuals, who, admittedly, have a great personal stake in getting Rather out the door, are contending in internal discussions that the blame belongs with Rather, not with any lower-ranking producer.

This individual also suggests that Don Hewitt, creator of 60 Minutes and who initially opposed the idea of establishing ‘60 Minutes II,’ is as livid as one would imagine. The pressure within CBS is intense and building steadily, the source said.

In another assessment of morale at CBS, I have also heard from one CBS employee, who works outside the newsroom, who has lamented that the memo controversy has left him/her “horribly disappointed, because I truly want to believe we're better than that.” (These sources have asked to not be identified, because they would like to keep their jobs.)

I also spent Monday touching base with various reporters and editors at mainstream newspapers and magazines in Washington, and not one would defend CBS’s action in this case. One editor at a publication that covers Capitol Hill said, “Anytime a major media outlet leaps to a conclusion on what appears to be highly questionable evidence, we all pay a price in terms of lessened credibility. Bad journalism is like bad anything — lawyers, doctors or apples. One bad one can taint the whole group.”

UPDATE: Here's a report in the New York Times that appears to back up my source's description of tension at CBS. Of course, this presumes the Times reporter is better than Jayson Blair.

Several CBS correspondents said in interviews that such developments were making them increasingly nervous.

One network correspondent said, "I've talked to colleagues who would love to see more of a defense."

This person described the state of the staff as "deep concern, I'd say not panic - we all want it to be right." This person, echoing others, said that Mr. Rather's resoluteness in addressing the charges on the air was allaying some of the concern. "Dan really put himself on the line and I can't imagine him knowingly defending something he knew not to be the case."

A longtime correspondent said flatly, "I'm distressed."

Mike Wallace, the longtime "60 Minutes" correspondent, said after hearing about new challenges to the validity of the documents on Sunday, "I'm confused by some of what I've heard today." But of his colleagues working on the report, he said: "You're dealing with genuine professionals. The last thing in the world that any of these people would want is to phony something."

My guess is that now that the Post has dismembered the CBS defense in this morning's edition, and raised a new set of hard questions, internal grumbling and finger-pointing at CBS News will intensify in the coming days.

[Posted 09/14 12:44 AM]